The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-12-09
"Msmber of the Forty-ninth Congress.
fMember of a preceding Congress.
LAMAR,S REPORT.
Another Interesting Chapter on Land
notwithstanding Devices Rcsorted Il

The administrations
WASHINGTON, Dec Din the annual report
Of the Secretary OF the Interior there is one
chapter that SnoUld interest every citizen who
has read with shame and Indignation OF the
many fdgTant Enclosures of public lands. The
papers transmitted from the General Land
Once show that during the year 465 illegal
Enclosures, aggregatlng an area of nearly ',0n,-
000 acres, have been reported Proceedings
have been tnstjtl. cd in 49, cases. and special
agents report that in los cases the removal of
Illegal fences has been accOmp shed, throwing
open 10 public use S,39I,0 900 acres. In addition
to this 10000 acres have been reclaimed by
special agents sent from the office to New Mex
leo aud Wyoming. The Secretary says:
Only where corporate CONVEYANCE and prodi-
gal railroad grants came 10 their assistance had
the cGttlemen still defted the law and rendered
p0welless the efforts of this department to cor
rect this abuse. AS l write this report COM
plants come from a region tile visited by my
inspector that certain large and wealthy cor
porations composed of foreigners, are con-
structlng further enclosures within the railroad
limits. That others are only waiting to see what
action, if any, the Government proposes to take
to prevent this, and are ready to pursue the
same course If this can be safely done. Within
the limits Of the railroad grants to-day exist the
only large or cont nuous enclosures of public
lands. This cunning device for olating the
law and furthering their own ends at the ex-
pense of settlement could never have been
made efectual unless the railroad companies
had come to the aid OF these Ca italists and
cattlemen. In Wyoming the railroads have
parted with their titles to alternate sections of
land which have been granted them and the
purchasers have erected fences upon them in
such way as to inclose large portions of pub
lie lands.
II these latter instances the Government
has not been able to make any material prog
ress, and the public domain has been thus ilIe-
galy inclosed for more than two years. In
two cases the Government failed
to obtain indictments because it was i'm
possible to impanel grand juries which were
not composed mostly OF men guilty OF similar
acts. To remedy this cunning evasion OF
the law two plans have been suggested. The
first is TO establish public highway around
four rods wide-every section of lald, the sec
ton lines be ng the center of such highways.
Make this part of the publ land system, SO
that all future entries made upon the public
lands should be subject TO this provision. When
the land taken for such b ghways has passed
from the Government into the hands of private
parties the bill should provide for necessary
compensation. This would require q compar-
atively small amount, owing to the present
low value Of these lands. An additional adj
va tage, too, would follow from these high
ways in opening free access to the
streams and water courses throughout the
whole grazing region now so completely and
eXclus vely controlled by a few to the perma-
nent injury Of many DESTROYS OF ranging stock
upon the broad uplands Of the public do
main. The second plan considered is to
lease the intermediate sections of public
sections. Such leased Ia1d should be
subject to entry under the land
laws at any time, the less0es rent terminating
from the Gate of entry. Eutrymen shOu.I have
right 10 lease adjacent pubic land proper
tionate to the area entered, and gates should
be placed to suit the convenience OF settlers,
one every mile
The Secretary calls attention to the enormous
pr vate grants alleged to have been made to
the holders Dy the Spanish or Mexican Govern
ments, q matter which he recommends be in
vest gated as soon as special legislation can be
enacted by which to cover it. Out of 1000
go acres, the titles to which have been ex-
amined by the Surveyor General during
~In l.aGT hna hGn mi nd hot mil
10000 acres are held by valid title. The
annual loss to the Government by the de-
strueti0n OF timber by fire alone is esti-
mated at s700Q,000 To this should be added
the more important but secondary loss
which follows the destruction of the timber by
foods, land-slides, climatic changes OF per-
manent character and the violations of the law
by depredators upon the timber ON public
lands. Legislation is needed which would look
to the preservation Of the natural forest lands
at the Eeadwaters Of navgabie rivers, and also
a method of putting within the reacn OF set
tiers legal means OF providing them with
timber for building their homes, fuel and other
domestic purposes.
The Secretary suggests that the public laud
strip be added TO the Territory of New Mexico
When the matter Of Indian affairs is reached it
is found that Of the remaining 173,6O0 Indians
under their supervision, about 5000 wear citi-
gems clothes wholly; that 10, Az houses are oc-
cupicd by them; that about $4,000 can speak
English with sufficient intelligence for ordinary
conVersat. Oh; that more than 1850 Of their
children are in schools receiving educational
and industrial training, for whom 237 schools
are in operation, and that over 31,U0J families
are engaged in industrial pursuits. They have
cultivated over 238,OO0 acres, built over SD5,O00
rods of fencing, produced over 5000 bushels
of wheat, go, 90 bushels of corn 402 0J0 bushels
OF oats, 63,00I bushels Of barley andrye, $500
bushels OF vegetables and $1,000 pounds OF
butter. Besides he above they have gathered
Tor use and sale considerable quantities OF wild
rice, berries, herbs, furs fish, snake root, etc.
They have sawed 5000 feet of lumber cut
q u
They own over 392, 600 horses, 3,00 mules, 49,
0oO cattle, ,OJ) swine and l,i2o000 sheep:
Droughts have seriously affected the yield OF
their crops the last year.
In the opinion Of the Secretary 'the Indian
race has reached crisis in its history sur
rounded on al sides by the forces OF ciViliza-
ton; all the reservations closed in and dressed
upon by eYer-ncreasing masses OF population,
made up OF iTnpeluous, daring and aggressive
settlers. miners, fonehmen ana traders; with
no possibility Of removal TO other reservations
or Of escare into mountain Businesses, the only
alternative presented to the Indian race is alb
solute ext notion or q quick entrance into the
pale of American civilization"
He compliments the Indian Freehold law and
its workings, but after reviewing the statistics
of Indian educational matters he says:
81 have no pleasure in contempt t ng in or
stating any unpromising features Of our work
among the Indians; but am convinced that IL,
for their transition from the old TO the better
and more systematic lie, we continue to de-
PEND so fully upon the powers of attraction, OFF
Government Will continue to be troubled with
the Indian problem for indefinite period
ST am per5ue ded that the question Of compul-
sory educat on of all the Indian youth OF the
tribes and bands under the are OF the general
Government is worthy of early and serious con-
siderat on. ANY movement in this direction
should have the full warrant of the law and the
methods prescribed should be wisely adopted
ard as nearly uniform practicable, and
should be kindly and judiciousiy, but firmly
enforced
The Secretary calls attention t. the in
creased efic ency and minished expenditures
of the Pension Oilce, for which, he saws, all
the credit is due to the Commissioner. He
suggests that the orphan children OF deceased
Soldiers who NAV be entitled TO pensions IN
I'll they a.e sixteen years OF Bge should
be allowed % draw the same after mat period
if they are ihcapacitated for making livelihood,
and that sold .ers' widows who may remarry
and subsequently become widows or be di
vorced without fault of their own should have
tsseir pensions revived 70 them.